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L E G E N D S | O L D L I B R A R Y
birch, or other environmental culprits harmful
to Earth systems, Olbers gives credence to
modern design with unimpeachable climate
credentials.
Throughout the space, hits of library-
inspired green suggest environmental
association, but this is not entirely the point.
The use of green also references the museum's
book collection and the commonly felt mood
one experiences in a library generally. "I felt
that Old Library is often a peaceful place, so
I wanted to create even more of that library
feeling," explains Olbers. "When I closed my
eyes and looked for libraries in my head, green
was the first color that came up. I also thought
green would help the whole interior to 'land,'
to make it stable," she adds. The table, made
of pine, lends the space a sense of grounding
that complements the palette.
Within the historical strictures of the space—
the inability to in any way revise the large
bookshelf or the wall colors, for example—
Olbers appointed a series of interesting
contemporary pieces to help streamline the
space's more voluminous antique components.
Among the most interesting juxtapositions
include leggy Library Lamps by Swedish
design studio Front snaking up wood shelving
in clever fashion. Featuring heavy bases and
mushroom-like tops, the lighting reimagines
the classic green Clerk lamps of the libraries,
banks and offices of old. Olbers also enlisted
small Sweden studios to help finish the space.
Made with home design brand Asplund, for
instance, Olbers' hand-knotted Biblioteket rug
reflects the spirit of Old Library, showcasing
a motif that reinterprets the designer's initial
sketches for the space, with three arches and
large windows. It's a piece that complements
newly laid oak parquet flooring, as well as
contemporary oak armchairs, also designed
by Olbers.
The mix of period architecture and modern
designs liberates Old Library from convention
while still respecting the original source
material. The seamlessness of the result speaks
to Olbers' rich understanding of the space and
how to bring it into the present. "I think you want
to respect to heritage of the interior while at the
same time leaving something from this time
to the future," she says. The main takeaway
from her design calculations—and broader
environmental intentions—is how to create
a visually unified, eco-friendly environment
inside a centuries-old interior. In this, the space
is more case study than library. "Today it feels
even more important to show consumers how
good quality and good environmental furniture
looks like," says Olbers. She might have added,
better than ever. emmaolbers.com
34 DIGS.NET
| 10.16.26
